This is the first of a series looking at INTERFERENCE (emotions and mental states that hinder peak performance). Anger. Plain and simple. It makes you stupid. You can’t think clearly, you hit shots you shouldn’t be hitting and more importantly, you are not enjoying golf. (Un)Luckily, anger has been around for awhile. Anger, according to the ancient sage […]
As a drill, swing “cross handed” (place your opposite hand on the top of the grip). This will stretch your left (front) shoulder and lengthen the triceps. You will feel a bigger shoulder turn for more power too. *Avoid if there is a shoulder, elbow or neck injury. Dodie Mazzuca is the Director of Instruction […]
“Brilliant shot!”…”My game’s atrocious!”…”That’s perfect!”…”What an idiot!” …the ups, downs and turns of the emotional roller coaster. The Giant Dipper (Santa Cruz’s famous beach side roller coaster, above) has nothing on golf’s turbulent ride. Emotions are Contagious. Don’t let your playing partner’s bad attitude effect yours. Let them have their own melt down while you stay focused on […]
Struggling to make a swing change? Try this simple drill to accelerate the learning process. . . Drill: Take an entire minute to complete one full golf swing. Have a mirror and/or feedback mechanism to tell you if you are in the correct positions. Because the motion is slow, you can fix yourself immediately. This […]
Try this simple twist to increase shoulder turn, generate more power and improve flexibility in the spine. Begin seated with knees bent. Sit up tall and lengthen the spine. Slowly rotate to the backswing side. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths and repeat on the other side. (*Avoid if there is a spine, neck or hip injury) […]
“If there is doubt in your mind . . .how can your muscles know what they are expected to do?” -Harvey Penick Doubt. . .the evil emotion that pops it’s head in when trust is absent. Numerous golf shots are sabotaged by a lack of commitment. “A wrong decision is generally less disastrous than indecision,” states Bernhard Langer. […]
Exercises as simple as standing on one leg will improve balance. Try holding this exercise for up to a minute. This will improve your “proprioception” and make it easier to maintain your balance while hitting shots off of uneven lies. (Side Note: The Titleist Performance Institute tested PGA Tour pros and on average, they could […]
Here are a few general tips to help you succeed with those frustrating yet common uneven surfaces on the links: Down Hill Lie: In your set up, make sure your shoulder line is parallel to the slope. Your weight distribution will be more on the FRONT LEG (down hill leg). Play the ball BACK in […]